New Vic Education teams up with The Royal Shakespeare Company to bring Shakespeare ‘First Encounters’ performance to Springhead Primary School

3rd November 2022

Hundreds of young people in Newcastle-under-Lyme had their first experience of a Shakespeare performance this week as The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) brought a production of Twelfth Night to Springhead Primary School in Talke Pits for four performances across Thursday and Friday (3 & 4 Nov).

Using edited versions of the original Shakespearean language, First Encounters are produced especially for 7-13 year-olds and bring the play to life on stage in just 90 minutes.

The First Encounters project is part of the New Vic’s partnership with the RSC and a group of local partner schools, with Springhead Primary School being the New Vic’s lead partner school. New Vic Education Practitioner Becky Salt has worked as a Creative Associate on the tour of Twelfth Night, directing and rehearsing the young company who join the professional cast.

New Vic Head of Education Jill Rezzano said: “We’re tremendously excited to have welcomed the renowned Royal Shakespeare Company to Newcastle-under-Lyme with a show especially produced for young people. It was a tremendous opportunity for young people, and our local community, to see these wonderful actors bringing the words to life in an intimate setting and with an energetic and dynamic style, designed to get everyone hooked on the ‘Bard.

“Bringing Shakespeare close to home and allowing children to see it performed live means that from an early age, our young people get the benefit of some of the finest writing in our language and become familiar with the stories, raising their confidence and understanding, and inspiring their own reading and writing skills and ambitions.”

The RSC’s First Encounters Twelfth Night production was at Springhead Primary School on Thursday 3 and Friday 4 November.